Κυριακή, 11 Μαρτίου 2012

ΜΟΥΣΙΚΟ ΗΜΕΡΟΛΟΓΙΟ ΦΕΒΡΟΥΑΡΙΟΣ

ΜΟΥΣΙΚΟ ΗΜΕΡΟΛΟΓΙΟ ΦΕΒΡΟΥΑΡΙΟΣ

* FEBRUARY 1

Death of Sir WILLIAM STERNDALE BENNETT 1875

English composer.For a brief period in the 1830s he enjoyed a high
reputation in the Germany of Mendelssohn and Schumann.He was the son of
the organist of Sheffield parish church but was orphaned when three
years old and was brought up in Cambridge,where he was a King's
chorister.In 1826 he was admitted'as a prodigy'to the RAM,studying the
violin,piano,and composition.Soon his brilliance as a pianist became
well known,and a piano concerto he wrote in 1832,when Cipriani Potter
had become his teacher,earned him an invitation to Germany from
Mendelssoh
'The Mary Queen'(1858),'The woman of Samaria(1867),and a new symphony(1864).He also edited works by Bach and Handel.Sterndale Bennett - Symphony in G minor - Allegro Moderato http://youtu.be/pdm6YM8qRjA

* FEBRUARY 1

Death of GIUSEPPE GAZZANIGA 1818 in CremaItalian composer.He studied with Porpora and
Piccinni but remained a minor member of that brilliant generation which
included Paisiello and Cimarosa.After beginning his career in Naples
in 1768 he went on to present comic and serious operas at various
Italian theatres.He is most associated with Venice where his best-known
work,'Don Giovanni',was performed as part of a 'dramatic caprice'in
1787.He became maestro di cappella in Crema in 1791 and composed
several liturgical works,his theatrical activity ceasing in 1801.
In the next six years he composed five more concertos,several
symphonies,and songs and piano pieces;Schumann expressed intense
admiration for his work.He became professor of music at Cambridge
University in 1856,instituting examinations for the music degrees,and
principal of the RAM in 1866.He was knighted in 1871.He wrote the
cantataG. Gazzaniga. Don Giovanni. Aria del Catalogo. Alfredo García l Barítono http://youtu.be/PM80SFwEloo

* FEBRUARY 2

Death of TULLIO SERAFIN 1968 in RomeItalian conductor.After studying the violin and
composition at the Milan Conservatory he made his conducting debut at
Ferrara in 1898.He soon established a repuation as a leading opera
conductor and became principal conductor at La Scala,Milan,in
1909,introducing a wide range of new repertory.He was at the
Metropolitan Opera,New York,from 1924 to 1934,and was artistic director
of the Rome Opera from 1934 to 1943.Thereafter he was internationally
sought after and revered as a master of balance,style,and ensemble
precision in opera.He became a major influence in nurturing
singers'careers,coaching such artists as Rosa Ponselle,Maria Callas,and
Joan Sutherland.His performances were disciplined but dramatic,and in
his long career he passed on his experiences from the time of Verdi to
the modern world.Rossini / Tullio Serafin, 1965: William Tell Overture - Rome Opera Orchestra, Rare Vinyl LP http://youtu.be/BR0adWIcGTI

* FEBRUARY 3Death of FRANCISCO VALLS 1747 in BarcelonaCatalan composer and music
theorist.Although he composed prodigiously and was maestro de capilla of
the parish church in Mataro and the cathedrals in Gerona and Barcelona
for many years,his lasting claim to fame emerged with the posthumous
publication of his treatise'Mapa armonico'(1741-2,written after his
retirement).His interest in theoriticalquestions was perhaps partly
stimulatedby the heated debate caused by his'Missa Scala
aretina'(1720),whichcontained unprepared dissonances regarded as
inadmissible by some critics of the day.http://youtu.be/7FJaJZql3HY

Birth of JOHANN GEORG ALBRECHTSBERGER 1736 in KlosterneuburgAustrian
organist,conposer,theorist,and teacher.After studies in his home town,he
went to the school at Melk Abbeyand subsequently studied philosophy at
the Jesuit seminary in V ienna. About 1775 he became organist at Gyor in
Hungary,later holding similar posts in Lower Austria and at Melk.In
1772 he became first organist in 1792.A yearlater he was appointed
Kapellmeister at St Stephen's Cathedral,remaining there until his
death.He was a prolific composer,of church music and instrumental
works,and author of an influential treatise on composition.He taught a
whole generation of Viennese musicians,including Beethoven( who, like
Mozart,thought highlyof him) and Hummel.http://youtu.be/nJjsvzOBtWc

* FEBRUARY 4

Death of JOSEF MYSLIVECEK 1781 in RomeCzech composer.After studying music in Prague,he
entered the family trade,becoming a master miller in 1761.Quickly
abandoned this career for music,in 1763 he went to Venice where he
studied composition with Pescetti.His first succees was with the opera
'Il Bellerofonte'(Naples,1867),and
until the failure of 'Armida'(Milan,1780)he remained popular
throughout Italy.He was also well known in Vienna and Munich.His last
three years were dogged by operatic failures,poverty,and illness
resulting from a disollute life;he died alone and destitute in Rome.
His many operas,almost all written for Italy,are marked by a
pleasing if ingenuous lyricism,and observe without modification the
conventions of 'opera seria'.Certain features of his melodic style
look back to his Bohemian origins,and in spite of the failure of his
last operas Myslivecek's influence on contemporaries,not least
Mozart,was significant. Mysliveček Cello Concerto Part 1/ M. Fukačová http://youtu.be/-Wj9sJlpWg8

* FEBRUARY 5

Birth of OLE BULL 1810 in BergenNorwegian violinist and composer.A seminal figure in 19th-century
Norwegian musical life,he also experimented with modifications to the
shape of the bow and to the height of the bridge while developing a new
manner of holding both.His performing career took him throughout
Europe(he played with Liszt and Mendelssohn) and to the USA.
In his homeland he established the Norwegian Theatre,appointing the
young Henrik Ibsen as resident dramatist,and later encouraged Grieg to
study in Leipzig.His playing skills were comparable to Paganini's,and
Schumann was struck by his beautiful tone.His compositions,which include
the song'Saeterjentens Sondag,are rich in melody and harmony.Ole Bull Sæterjentens Søndag http://youtu.be/ZXqnLooMLO0

* FEBRUARY 6

Birth of CLAUDIO ARRAU 1991 in ChillanChilean pianist.He studied with
Martin Krause in Berlin,made his recital debut in 1914,and in 1915
appeared as asoloist under Nikisch.He was famed for cycles of
Mozart,Beethoven,and Schubert,but he also played
Chopin,Liszt,Debussy,and Schoenberg.A thoughtful artist,equally at home
in the recording studio and on the concertplatform,he was also renowned
for giving absorbing master classes.http://youtu.be/R9GYArGlM7g

Death of JOHANN PHILIPP KRIEGER
1725 in WeissenfelsGerman composer and organist.After early studies
at Copenhagen he entered service at the court of B ayreut.In 1677 he
became organist at Halle ,and in 1680 moved to Weissenfels as
Kapellmeister.His output(most of which is now lost)included 2000
cantatas,18 operas,and much chamber music.His surviving sacred works
show his mastery of the mixed-text(Bible and free poetic)setting,typical
of the pre-Bach'cyclic'cantata.http://youtu.be/wnxyzF8sdwc

* FEBRUARY 7

Death of ANDRE CARDINAL DESTOUCHES 1749 in ParisFrench composer.He was educated by
the Jesuits and visited Siam when he was 15.He joined the army,but left
in 1694 to take up music.He had a 'pastorale-heroique,Isse,performed to
Louis XIV's delight at Fontainebleau in 1697.Although some of his
contemporaries considerede him an amateur,his operas,which include
'tragedies' and ballets of varioustypes,and noted for their keen
theatrical sense,their flexible declamation and their attractive and
colourful dances.He also composed'grands motets'but all are now lost.http://youtu.be/6ws6OyMnNCI

Death of MARCOS ANTONIO PORTUGAL 1830 in Rio de JaneiroPortuguese composer.He
studied at the Seminario Patriarcal in Lisbon,remaining in the city as a
conductor and opera composer until 1972.That year he went to study in
Italy,though he seems to have spent more time composing operas than
taking lessons;the most successful of his Italian works was 'La
confusione della somiglianza'(1793).In 1800 he returned to Lisbon to
take up the posts of royal maestre da capela and director of opera at
the S.Carlostheatre.He never returned to Europe.He wrote over 50
operas,both Portuguese and Italian,and composed over 100 sacred
works.The finale of his cantata 'La speranza'(1809)served as the
Portuguese national anthem until 1834.http://youtu.be/Viq1eYuHaKo

* FEBRUARY 8

Birth of JOSEPH LEOPOLD EYBLER 1765 in ViennaAustrian composer.He studied with
Haydn.Befriended by Mozart,he was at first entrusted with the task of
completing the Requiem,but yielded this to Sussmayr.In 1792 he became
choirmaster of the Carmelite Church in Vienna,and from 1794 that of the
Schotten monastery,where he remained for 30 years.He was court music
master and,from 1804,firstdeputy Hofkapellmeister under Salieri,whom he
succeeded in 1824.He was a proficient instrumentalist and singer
whosecompositions,including masses,oratorios,symphonies,chamber and
piano music,and operas,were praised by both Haydnand Mozart.http://youtu.be/UOV6-WSzIfY

Birth of JACOB PRAETORIUS

1586 in HamburgGerman composer and organist.After studying in
Amsterdam with Sweelinck he worked at the Hamburg church of St Petri.He
was well known for his organ music,especially for his chorale settings
and for some so-called preludes;these comprised chordal preludes
followed by monothematic fugues and were direct precursors of Bach's
preludes and fugues.http://youtu.be/90JcALXu6kE

Death of ERNO DOHNANYI 1960 in New YorkHungarian composer.In 1893 he
entered the Budapesr Academy to study with Istvan Thoman(piano) and Hans
Koessler(composition);in not seeking his education outside Hungary he
set a precedent thet was followed by his younger friend Bartok.He made
his debut as a pianist in Berlin in 1897 and then enjoyed a career as a
virtuoso;he also served as director of the Budapest Conservatory from
1919 In 1948 he left Hungary for political reasons and settled in the
USA.His compositions include two piano concertos and the popular
Variations on a nursery Song for piano and orchestra(1913),three
symphonies,three operas and chamber music.http://youtu.be/vQUqqlLbF6c

Death of FRANZ ANTON HOFFMEINSTER 1812 in ViennaAustrian composer and publisher After
studying law in Vienna he turned to music,becoming well known as a
composer of'Singspiele' and instrumental music.His publishing
firm,founded in 1784,included some of Mozart's String Quartet in DK499
is often known as the 'Hoffmeister'Quarter At about the turn of the 18th
century he foundeda'bureau de musique'withAmbrosius Kuhnel in
Leipzig:this eventually became the publishing house C.F.*Peters Verlag.http://youtu.be/JXv-aJtJak0

Death of VINCENT LUBECK 1740 in HamburgGerman composer,organist,and teacher.His
first performance at the age of 20,was at Stade,where he remained for
nearly 30 years.In 1702 he became organist at St Nicolai,Hamburg,where
he spent the rest of his working life.His few known compositions include
three cantatas,one of which,'Willkommen susser
Brautigam'('Welcome,Sweet Bridegroom'),for Christmas,remains popular in
Germany and nine large works for organ of a quality to rival those of
Buxtehude.http://youtu.be/y9TJohwbSIc

* FEBRUARY 10

Death of ANTONIO BAZZINI 1897 in MilanItalian violinist and composer.He
spent his early life on concert tours throughout Europe.After some years
in Parishhe returned to Italy,where he became professor of
composition(1873),then director(1882),of the Milan Conservatory.He wrote
an opera and some orchestral works but was best known for his chamber
music;he also wrote the famous showpiece for violin'La Ronde des
lutins'.His many pupils included Puccini.http://youtu.be/az7ZE2Y6uy4

Birth of JEAN COULTHARD

1908 in Moncton,NBCanadian composer.In 1928 she won a scolarship to
study in London piano,composition,and theory.She further studiedin New
York(1945,1949)and back in London as late as 1965-6.She also submitted
her compositions for criticism duringlessons with
Milhaud(1942),Bartok(1944),and Boulanger(1955).In 1947 she was appointed
to the University ofBritish Columbia,Vancouver,where she taught
composition and analysis until 1973.She was a prolific composer,the
final tally of her works reaching 350,in virtually every genre.For the
stage there are two ballets(Excursion,1940;The Devil's Fanfare,1958) and
a large scale opera after Hardy,'Return of the Native(1956-79).Her
orchestral outputincludes three symphonies and concertante works for
various instruments.There are many piano pieces,choral works,songs,and
chamber music.http://youtu.be/8EBJlB7Jqo4

Death of VICENTE MARTIN y SOLER 1806 in PetersburgSpanish composer.Born and raised
in Valencia,he composed his first opera in 1775 for the court of
Madrid.By the end of 1777 he was writing operas and ballets in Naples.In
1782 he moved to Venice,also fulfilling commissions for Turin and
Parma.In 1785 he went on to Vienna,where he wrote three operas to
librettos by Da Ponte.Of these 'Una cosa rara'(1786) and' L'arbore di
Diana'(1787) were immensely popular;Mozart quoted a tune from the former
in DonGiovanni's supper music.In 1788 Martin took up the position of
court composer to Catherine II,providing Russianoperas and ballets for
her residence.At the end of his contract in 1794 he left for
London,where he composed two operas for the 1795 season at the King's
Theatre,again with Da Ponte.By early 1796 Martin was back in St
Petersburg and obtained a teaching position,which he held until his
death.http://youtu.be/XhXwGkXxRuw

* FEBRUARY 11

Birth of EGIDIO ROMOALDO DUNI 1708 in MateraItalian composer.His career began in Rome with
'Nerone'(1735),and he had operas performed in Milan,Florence,London,and
other centres.He was appointed maestro di cappella in Parma towards
the end of the 1740s
and collaborated with Goldoni on'La buona figliuola(1756)In 1761 he became music director of the Comedie-Italienne.
He was the first major composer of opera comique,his Italianate music delighting the public.Egidio Duni: "Balletscene", Allegretto in G Major http://youtu.be/LcV8zmh6sjI

* FEBRUARY 12

Death of ANTON STEPANOVICH ARENSKY 1906 in Zelenogorsk,Russia.
Russian composer.He studied with Rimsky-Korsakov at the St Petersburg Conservatory,then taught harmony and
counterpoint at the Moscow Conservatory.Later he returned to St
Petersburg as director of the imperial court chapel(1895)resigning in
1901 with a substuntial pension which allowed him the freedom to
compose.He composed three operas,piano music,chamber music, and several
orchestral works,including two symphonies,a Piano Concerto,and a Violin
Concerto.Arensky died of consumption,having for years led a life of
drinking and gambling which undermind his health and finances.Anton Arensky - Etude Op. 25, no. 3 http://youtu.be/229sLFw-UPc

* FEBRUARY 12

Death of AGOSTINO STEFFANI 1728 in Frankfurt
Italian composer.He was educated at Padua.When he was 13 his voice earned him a position with Elector FerdinandMaria of Bavaria,who took him back to Munich.In 1672 he went to Rome
to study with Ercole Bernabei.In 1688 he left Munich for Hanover,where
he was Kapellmeister to the newly opened Italian opera
theatre.Although he composed operas and other works,he spent much of
his time travelling round Europe as a diplomat and ambassador.During a
period in Rome he met Handel,who was much influenced by Steffani's
attractive chamber duets to Italian texts.
He did much to popularize opera in northen Europe,combining the Venetian idiom with elements of the French style.Agostino Steffani: NIOBE, REGINA DI TEBE http://youtu.be/f4fbNtK3JwA

* FEBRUARY 12

Birth of THOMAS CAMPION 1567 in LondonEnglish composer and poet.His music,all for
voices,is immediately attractive.It is especially tuneful,restrained
though rarely melancholic,and marked by sectional repetition and the
occasional sequence.His masques are distinguished by their musical and
poetic content ,especially the first,the'Lord Hayes(1607),where music
and poetry not only adorn the masque but also direct the whole movement
of the work.In his ayres the vocal line is all-important,the lute
acting very much as an accompaniment.In his five books of ayres,and
other single examples,can be found a perfect union of
music and poetry.
1804 he was Kapellmeister to Prince Ferdinand of Prussia.After his
patron's death in 1806,he turned to concert promotion and teaching.Haydn
played with Dussek in London,describing him as 'one of the most
upright,moral,and,in

* FEBRUARY 12

Birth of JAN LADISLAV DUSSEK 1760 in CaslavBohemian pianist and composer.The son of a well-known musician,Jan
Dussek(1738-1818),-he studied in Prague and in Hamburg possibly with
C.P.E.Bach.He visited Germany,Russia,Lithuania,Italy,and France before
settling in London in 1789.There he set up a music-publishing business
with his father-in-law,Domenico Corri,and gave many concerts.By1799 the
publishing business was bankrupt,and Dussek took refuge from his
creditors in Hamburg;from 1804 he was Kapellmeister to Prince Ferdinand
of Prussia.After his patron's death in 1806,he turned to concert
promotion and teaching.Haydn played with Dussek in London,describing
him as 'one of the most upright,moral,and,in music,most eminent of
men'.His works,while firmly rooted in the classical style,foreshadow
the Romantic period in their use of expressive chromatic harmonies. Jan Ladislav Dusík - Piano Concerto in G minor, Op. 49 - I. Allegro (PART 1/2) http://youtu.be/V-nOJzcLeng

* FEBRUARY 13

Death of WILHELM RICHARD WAGNER 1883 in Venice

THE EARLY YEARS German composer.Whether Wagner was the son of the police actuary Friedrich Wagner or the painter,poet,and actor
Ludwig Geyer can never be determined,for by the time of Fredrich's death from typhus in 1813,Johanna Wagner was
already Geyer's mistress.On her marriage to Geyer,the family moved to
Dresden,where Wagner studied at the Kreuzschule and his love for music
first kindled by the example of Weber.In June 1830 Wagner enrolled at
Leipzig

University,where he studied music under Theodor Weinlig.In Prague in 1832 he wrote the libretto for an opera,'Die
Hochzeit',which he partly composed,then beginning work on 'Die Feen',a romantic opera(composed 1833-4,produced
1888.Moving to Magdeburg as conductor in 1834,Wagner conducted operas
by Bellini and Rossini as well as German works and the French opera
comique repertory.He also married the actressWilhelmine(Minna);their
stormy and erratic marriage lasted until her death in 1866,though he
was not by then living with her.Partly so as to provide distraction from
his unhappy private life,he began work on 'Rienzi'.From London,he and
Minna went on to Paris,where he hoped to conquer the Opera,then the
most influential theatre in Europe,with 'Rienzi'(1840).In Paris,where
he endured considerable hardship,Wagner completed 'Rienzi',wrote his
'Faust Overture,came to know and admire Berlioz,was
introduced to the legends of 'Tannhauser'and 'Lohengrin,and wrote the text and music of 'Der fliegende Hollander
(1841)Leaving Paris in 1842,Wagner arrived in Dresden to his first
triumph with 'Rienzi'.When this was followed by a more modest success
for 'Der fliegende Hollander',Wagner took the work to Berlin,only to
encounter his first taste of the critical hostility that was thereafter
to divide musical Germany into Wagnerians and anti-Wagnerians..He had
meanwhile begun work on'Tannhauser',completing it in the spring of 1845.

YEARS OF MATURITY

Wagner had meanwhile accepted a posr as conductor at Dresden in 1843,also beginning work on 'Lohengrin'(1848).In 1850 Liszt conducted the first performance of 'Lohengrin in
Weimar,and Wagner was encouraged to proceed with work on'Siegfrieds
Tod'. As the idea grew in his mind,he added to the original concept
texts for first'Der junge Siegfried',
then'Die Walkure'and'Das Rheingold'Thus the works that were to form'Der Ring des Nibelungen'came to be written in
reverse order.The text was completed at the end of 1852,and in spite of considerable financial difficulties Wagner
began work on 'Das Rheingold', completing it in September 1854.At the
same time,under the influence of his love for the wife for a Swiss
benefactor,Mathilde Wesendonk,he conceived the idea for 'Tristan und
Isolde' and revived an earlier interest in the story of
'Parsifal'.Having completed'Die Walkure'and begun work on 'Siegfried'(as
the third'Ring'opera was now called),he broke off to devote himself to'Tristan' in
August 1857.Forced to leave Zurich over his liaison with Mathilde
Wesendonk,Wagner went first to Venice and then to Paris,where his
new(1861) version of 'Tannhauser'
met with violent demonstrations but won him new admirers,among them
Wesendonk,Wagner went first to Venice and then to Paris,where his new(1861) version of 'Tannhauser'
met with violent demonstrations but won him new admirers,among them
Baudelaire.At ythe moment when the financial affairs,always
precarious,seemed finally about to overwhelm him,an offer came from
Ludwig II of Bavaria:the outcome
was generous support and the promise of performances.Thanks to the
king,'Tristan' was performed in 1865 under Hans von Bulow.with whose
young wife Cosima,Liszt's daughter,Wagner had fallen in love.He left
Bavaria to set up house
in Tridschen,on the Lake of Lukcerne.Here he completed'Die Meistersinger' in the autumn of 1867.Four months later
Cosima moved to Tribschen to live with Wagner.She had already borne
him two daughters;the birth of their son Siegfried in 1869 prompted the
'Siegfried Idyll'on themes from the 'Ring'.
Great Dates 1 - 1874 Wagner - Part 1Great Dates 1 - 1874 Wagner - Part 1http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DGODSPL6LfY

BAYREUTH AND THE RING

Wagner now turned his attention to the foundation of the ideal opera
house that had so long eluded him;and after many difficulties he opened
the new Festspielhaus in Beyreuth,supported by Ludwig and an army of
subscribers and loyal workers,in 1876 with the completed 'Ring',now
consisting of 'Das Rheingold','Die Walkure','Siegfried',and
'Gottrdammerung'.The festival was attended by an array of luminaries
from all over Europe:Wagner was by now the most famous artist of the
day.The'Ring' is essentially a myth of power,love,and
renunciation,expressed in a dramatic conflict fought out between
gods,giants,humans,dwarfts,and
orher beings.The success of the festival by no means assured the
future of Bayreuth,not least since the king had lost some faith in
Wagner over his elopement with Cosima and eventual marriage to her in
1870.But the festival which he attended,helped to reconcile him to
Wagner,and further
support was forthcoming while Wagner turned his attention to what he intended to be his last work,'Parsifal'.
Ageing and tired,he paid frequent visits to Italy for his health(he
suffered from erysipelas and from angina pectoris)He completed the score
in Palermo early in 1882.The first performance took place in
Bayreuth.In Septemer 1882 Wagner
travelled with his family to Venice.He planned now only to write some one-movement symphonies making use of the
motivic techniques he had evolved.On 13 February 1883 he had a fatal
heart attack.His body was conveyed back to Bayreuth and buried in the
garden of Wahnfried.Cosima survived him,at first reluctantly,to become
the dominating figure at Bayreuth festivals until her death,shortly
before that of her son Siegfried,in 1930.

Death of JOHANN KASPAR KERLL 1693 in MunichGerman organist and composer.His first
employer,Archduke Leopold William at Vienna,sent him to Rome to study
with Carissimi.In 1656 he was appointed Kapellmeister at the Bavarian
court in Munich,and there he wrote a number of
operas(including''L'Oronte''for the openingof the opera house) and ballets,apparently with some
success.In 1673 he moved to Vienna,becoming court organist at St
Stephen'sCathedral in 1674 and at the imperial court in 1677.His works
include masses and keyboard pieces.Handel appears to have thought enough of Kerll's music to borrow from it:the
choruses'Egypt was glad'from Israel in Egypt and 'Let all the
angels'from Messiah,for example,both had their origins in keyboard
canzonas by Kerll.

Death of LILY PONS 1976 in Dallas
French-born American soprano.She studied the piano at the Paris Conservatoire,then had singing lessons in New
York with Giovanni Zenatello.She made her stage debut in Mulhouse in
1928 as Lakme,for which her high,delicate,and agile coloratura voice
was well suited.She caused a sensation in1931 when she took the title
role of 'Lucia di Lammermoor'at the Metropolitan Opera,New York,where
she went on to sing for 28 seasons.Her greatest successes
were in lyrical and colourful roles;she was an admired Gilda.She made many recordings and some films.

Death of EDMUND RUBBRA1986 in Gerrards CrossEnglish composer and
teacher.He went to Reading University and the RCM where he studied
composition with Holstand counterpoint with R.O.Morris.During World War
II he worked as a pianist,after which he settled inOxford andtaught
composition at the Guildhall School of Music.His first four symphonies
appeared in quick succession between 1937 and 1941,establishing his
reputation as a leading composer of his generation.His Fifth
Symphony(1947-8),arguably his finest essay in the genre,marked the
beginning of a further cycle of seven,the last of which was completed in
1979.He also wrote the Violin Sonata no.2 and Quartet no.1,the Piano
Trio no.1,and the Quartet no.2 as well as works for voices with and
without orchestra.http://youtu.be/bMSq1Bd1Pss

* FEBRUARY 15

Death of MIKHAIL IVANOVICH GLINKA 1857 in BerlinRussian composer.Like many Russian
gentlemen of his generation he began to compose romances as a dignified
pastime,but he soon came to see composition as his vocation.After a few
lessons with John Field he travelled to Italy in 1830 to study vocal
composition During his Italian sojourn,though he had written a number of
Italian arias and had been received warmly by Bellini and Donizetti,he
decided that he did not want a career as an Italian opera
composer,however promising his prospects.He returned to St Petersburg to
plan the composition of a Russian opera.'A Life for the Tsar(also known
as 'Ivan Susanin' in its Soviet adaptation)was given a lavish
premiere,the inauguralperformance marking the opening of a new opera
house in the presence of Tsar Nicholas I.His second opera followed in
1842:'Ruslan and Lyudmila',based on a Pushkin's narrative poem,was less
explicitly Russian in its musical detail;its more complex idiom,slow
pace,and great loenght pleased neither the court nor the public.
Embittered,he left Russia and spent most of his remaining years
abroad,first in Paris,where he enjoyed the companyof Berlioz,and then in
Spain where he wrote two Spanish overtures.In 1848 he returned to
Russia.Only in the lastyear of his life did he resume his ambition of
forging a Russian national music:taking Palestrina as his model,he set
out toremould Russian churchmusic into a contrapuntal art,hoping that
Russian music history could follow the course the 3West had taken
earlier.He therefore returned to Berlin to resume his studies with
Dehn,but died there shortly afterwards.http://youtu.be/fjUijyeFMu0

Birth of MICHAEL PRAETORIUS 1571 in Creuzburg an der WerraGerman composer and
theorist.In 1595,after three year's service as organist,he was appointed
court organist,and later Kapellmeister,at Wolfenbutell.In 1613,on the
death of his employer,he joined the electoral court at Dresden.He
visited Leipzig,Nuremberg,and Bayreuth,constantly studying the latesr
musicalstyles and customs of his period.As a composer Praetorius ranged
over a wide variety of styles and forms.In
'Terpsichore(1612),instrumental dances are based on tunes by Parisian
dancing mastersand,in 'Polyhymnia caduceatrix et panegyrica'(1619),grand
concertato settings of Lutheran texts,modelled on the leading Venetian
styles of the day.http://youtu.be/TFVczfmDKEU

Birth of GEORGES AURIC 1899 in Lodeve,HeraultFrench composer.He studied
at the Paris Conservatoire and the Schola Cantorum,but his career was
determined much more by his association with Cocteau,Poulenc,and others
as a member of Les *Six.His early works exude the carefreespirit of the
group,and he aways shared Poulenc's delight in incongruity,remaining at
the same time open to new ideas,even to those of the French avant-garde
of the 1950s and 60s.His large output included an opera,ballets,scores
for films by Rene Clair and Cocteau and for several Ealing
comedies,chamber music,songs,and piano pieces.He also served as a music
critic,and was director of the Paris opera houses(1962-8).http://youtu.be/I6n3Ab0okdg

Birth of ERNST EICHNER 1740 in Aroslen. German bassoonist and
composer.Amember of the orchestra at Zweibrucken in 1762,he became its
Konzertmeister in 1769.In1770 he travelled to Paris with Duke Christian
IV ofZweibrucken,but two years laterhe left the duke's service and made
an extended tour to London,where he played the bassoon in J.C.Bach's
subscription concerts.According to Burney,Eichner wasw an excellent
bassoonist;he was also a composer of merit,writing several symphonies
and concertos.http://youtu.be/l2xAa0dImzU

* FEBRUARY 16

Birth of CHARLES AVISON 1709 in
Newcastle upon TyneEnglish composer and writer on music.He received
instruction from Geminiani in London.In 1736 he was appointed organist
at St Nicholas's,the principal church in Newcastle,and in 1738 he became
musical director of an annual series of subscription concerts in the
city;later he organised a similar series in Durham.As well as composing
many concerti grossi he arranged 12 of Domenico Scarlatti's harpsichord
sonatas for string orchestra.He was also a notable composer of
accompanied keyboard sonatas.http://youtu.be/gKKkLV34KZU

Birth of HENRI VIEUXTEMPS 1820 in Verviers
Belgian violinist and composer.One of the great 19th-century virtuoso violinists,he studied with Charles-Auguste de
Beriot in Paris.His playing career,during which he revived
Beethoven's Concerto,took him throughout Europe and three times to
America between 1843 and 1871.Among the admirers were Schumann and
Berlioz,and his pupils included Eugene Ysaye.Of his 59 published works
virtually all are for the violin,including five concertos,the most
frequently played being the Fourth.Vieuxtemps, Henry Fantasia Appassionata (begin) opus 35http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgdP2HwDERE&feature=share

* FEBRUARY 18

Death of GUSTAVE CHARPENTIER 1956 in ParisFrench composer.Although he entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1879 and soon developed a love of Montmartre
and bohemian life, his career did not really blossom until in 1884 he
joined the composition class of the sympathetic Massenet,who taught
him'the love of loving and the love ofbeing loved'.His other main
influences were Wagner,from whom he adopted the use of the picturesque
and the unexpected'.He was awarded the coveted Prix de Rome for his
latterday equivelant of Berlioz's 'Lelio),and the overall plan and
first act of his opera ''Louise''.Perhapsout of gratitude,in 1902
Charpentier founded the Conservatoire Populaire Mimi Pinson,which
successfully gave free musical tuition to poor working girls until
World War II,supported by the income from Charpentier's popular
festivals of his own compositions.During the next three unusually prolific years at
the Villa Medici in Rome,Charpentier composed the nucleus of his
life's work:the orchestral suite 'Impressions d'Italie(189-90),the
symphonic drama'La Vie du poete'(1888-89,rev.1890-2,a latterday
equivelant of Berlioz's 'Lelio),and the overall plan and first act of
his opera ''Louise''.Perhapsout of gratitude,in 1902 Charpentier
founded the Conservatoire Populaire Mimi Pinson,which successfully
gave free musical tuition to poor working girls until World War
II,supported by the income from Charpentier's popular festivals of
his own compositions.cantata'Didon'in 1887. .Communication rather than
composition dominated the rest of his long life,and after the
long-lived success of his last opera,'Julien(1913),none of his many
projects seems to have reached fruition.Perhaps the phenomenal triumph
of Louise,whose real heroine is Paris herself,overwhelmed
Sharpentier's creative talents.Certainly he became increasingly
self-critical and given to self-borrowing,and it was on Louise that the
reputation of this social idealist(and ideal socialist)ws to rest.http://youtu.be/9UvBwKHsk8U

* FEBRUARY 18Birth of JOHN PARRY 1776 IN Denbigh
Welsh instrumentalist,composer,and conductor.He settled in London in
1807.Between 1809 and 1829 he wrote and arranged music for
entertainment at Vauxhall gardens,Covent Garden,and Drury Lane.He often
sang his own
compositions in public.Proud of his Welsh ties,he conducted various
'eisteddfodau'and'cymrodorion' ,promoted the Cambrian Society,and
published six collections of traditional Welsh melodies.He was treasurer
of the Royal Society of Musicians(1831-49) and music critic of 'The
Morning Post'(1834-48).http://youtu.be/rogIPhTVzuY

* FEBRUARY 19

Birth of LUIGI BOCCHERINI 1743 in LuccaItalian composer and cellist.His father,a
double-bass player,sent him to study in Rome at an early age,then went
with him to Vienna,where they played in the orchestra of the imperial
court theatre for several seasons.In 1764 he was appointed a cellist in
a leading musical establishment in Lucca,the Cappella Palatina,but in
1766 he set off on a concert tour with a friend,Filippo
Manfredi,arriving in Paris in 1767.They next went to Spain,where they
played in opera performances and concerts.From 1770 Boccherini was
composer and performer to the infante,Don Luis,at Aranjuez,a
position he held until Don Luis died in 1785.During those years he composed many string quintets requiring two cellos.
Boccherini's works include about 30 symphonies,some concertos(most
for cello),and,most important,over 300 chamber works.His quintets are
his most successful music:in them the first violin and the 'alto
violoncello'are given the more elaborate melodies,while the other
instruments are used for little more than filling in.Luigi Boccherini: Minuetto (classical) http://youtu.be/kSE15tLBdso

* FEBRUARY 19

Death of ORAZIO VECCHI 1605 in ModenaItalian composer.The third of six children,he became a priest early in life before taking up music as a profession.He was
maestro di cappella at Salo Cathedral from 1581 to 1584,and then at
Modena Cathedral.Vecchi composed some excellent church music,but his
fame rests on his light madrigals and canzonettas,written in an
eminently singable and attractive style.Orazio Vecchi, So Ben, Mi C'ha Bon Tempo http://youtu.be/fyGKpAX2kM8

* FEBRUARY 20

Birth of CHARLES-AUGUSTE de BERIOT 1802 in Leuven
Belgian violinist and composer.A pupil of Pierre Baillot,he toured Europe from 1829,at first with the singer Maria
Malibran,whom he married in 1836.He directed the violin faculty of
the Brussels Conservatory from 1843,but later became blind. His
technique combined brilliant virtuosity with the classical Parisian
style established by Viotti to create a new,Romantic Franco-Belgian
school.Among his compositions are ten violin concertos and many 'Duos
brillants'for violin and piano;his methods as a teacher are documented
in several instruction books.Charles-Auguste De Beriot: Scene De Ballet for Violinhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrBjcm_6lKU&feature=share

Death of PERCY GRAINGER 1961 in White Plains,NY
Australian-born American composer,pianist,writer ,and ethnomusicologist.Best known for much of his life as a pianist.
With his mother,he emigrated to Europe in 1895;until1899 he studied
composition with Knorr at the Hoch Conservatory,Frankfurt,where he
became associated with the Frankfurt Group.In 1901 he moved to
London.After taking piano lessons with Busoni in Berlin in 1903 he
immediately established a reputation as a concert pianist.In 1914
Grainger went to New York primarily as a virtuoso pianist.He took American citizenship in 1918 after serving in the
US Army.After his mother's suicide in 1922 he became restless and travelled widely in Scandinavia,collecting folksongs
in Jutland and meeting Grieg;the two men became close friends,and
Grainger championed Grieg's Piano Concerto.On one of his return journeys
to the USA he met the Swedish painter and poet Ella Strom,whom he
married in 1928.He
taught at the Chicago Musical College,1919-28,and in 1932-3 was
chairman of New York University music department;in 1934-5 he returned
to Melbourne,where in 1938 he inaugutated an ethnomusicological
research centre at the university and built the Grainger Museum,to
which he was to leave his skeleton.Percy Grainger plays Grieg Peer Gynt "Morning Mood"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtRElExQTfc&feature=share

Birth of CARL CZERNY 1791 in Vienna.Austrian piano teacher,composer,and performer.He was Beethoven's most
celebrated pupil.His musical talents were discovered early,and by the age of ten,when he became a pupil of
Beethoven,he could perform the Pathetique Sonata.Later,he was
famously capable of playing all the master's solo piano music from
memory,and gave the first performance of the 'Emperor'Concerto in 1812.
Czerny was a prolific composer,writing over 1000 works in most gernes
apart from opera,and transcribed for the piano many pieces by
Handel,Haydn,Mozart,and Beethoven.The example of his dedication and
sincerity proved crucial in channelling the talents of many more
successful pianists-among them the young Liszt.Czerny - Piano Concerto in A minor Op.214 (1/5)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glCFci-KxvA&feature=share

Birth of CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR 1844 in Lyons
French composer and organist.His father,an organ builder,gave him his
first lessons;he then went on to Lemmens in Brussels,and also studied
composition with Fetis.He was appointed organist of St Sulpice in
Paris(1870-1934).A man
of great ambition,Widor prodused a large quantity of music in all
forms,including three operas and three orchestral symphonies.Best known
,however,are the ten symhonies for solo organ(1872-1900)No.5 contains
the famous showpiece'Toccata'as its logically satisfying finale,whereas
the more inward-looking ''Gothique''(no.9) and 'Romane' (no.10) are
based on traditional Gregorian themes.Charles Marie Widor - Symphony for Organ & Orchestra op. 42http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQMOC-VC1sQ&feature=share

* FEBRUARY 22

Death of HUGO WOLF 1903 in Vienna

Austrian composer.His father wasa leather-merchant
and an able instrumentalist who taught him the piano and violin.After
some generally unsatisfactory scooling he entered the Vienna
Conservatory in 1875 to study the piano,harmony,and composition,and it
was there that he first became obsessed with Wagner's music.He was
dismissed
for disciplinary reasons in 1877 and,after a short visit
home,attempted to make a living in Vienna as a teacher.He was always
subject to bouts of deep depression and melancholia,unable to compose
for long periods,then suddenly overtaken by a hectic flood of
inspiration.The late 1880s were a particularly productive period for
his songwriting,but by
1897 his mental health had severely deteriorated(the ouycome of an
earlier syphilitic infection)aqnd he was admitted to a sanstorium.He was
discharged as cured in 1898,but later that year had to enter an
asylum,where he spent the last few unhappy years of his life.In a
comparatively short career,Wolf made an individual and significant
contribution to the lied repertory,in which he proved a natural
successor to Schubert and Schuuuumann.In addition to his output of some
300 songsWolf struggled doggedly with instrumental composition A desire
to explore larger forms and his obsession with Wagner caused him to
labour long with opera.The only one he
completed,''DerCorreidor'(1895),on a Spanish theme,contains some
beautiful numbers but lacks dramatic

Birth of GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL 1685 in HalleEnglish composer of German
birth.HALLE,HAMBURG,and ITALYThe son of a 63-year-old barber-surgeon and
his much younger wife(the daughter of a pastor),Handel was found to
have musical talent at an early age.He studied with a local organist,who
taught him keyboard and composition.Visitimg Berlin,where he met his
future colleagues Attillio Ariosti and Giovanni Bononcini,he made such
an impression that the elector offered to send him to study in Italy,an
offer not taken up by his family.He studied at the grammar school and
university in Halle,but was appointed organist at the cathedral in
1702:the following year he decided to seek hisfortune in
Hamburg.Hamburg's main attraction was the opera,directed by Reinhart
Keiser.Handel played second violin in the orchestra before becoming
maestro al cembalo.He also had the opportunity to write his first
operas,of which 'Almira',though a strange mixture of German and
Italian,was evidently successful at its performance in 1705.Before his
third opera was ready he had decided to learn his craft in Italy.He
first visited Florence.He composed many secular cantatas and some fine
church music.He also wrote his first oratorio,'Il triomfo del Tempo e
del Disinganno''(1707)He became acquainted with Corelli,Alessandro and
Domenico Scarlatti.He visited Naples and Venicewhere he met Cardinal
Grimani(who provited the libretto for the opera'Agrippina') and the
composers Vivaldi and Albinoni.The production of'Agrippina'in Venice in
the winter of 1709-10 was a great success.In Venice Handel alsomet
Prince Ernst August of Hanover,whose brother the elector was looking for
a new Kapellmeister,Handel travelled to Hanover and accepted the post
on condition that he be allowed first to visit England.
HANOVER and EARLY LONDON YEARS
Handel arrived in London in autumn 1710 and discovered a city ripe
for Italian opera.He was employed at the Queen'sTheatre in the Haymarket
and wrote 'Rinaldo',which was prodused in February 1711.For three years
Handel lived in Piccadilly at the home of Lord Burlington.For the
1712-13 season he wrote'Il pastor fido',which was a
failure:but'Teseo',based on the plot of Lully's' Thesee',was more
successful.When Queen Anne died in 1714 Handel's employer,George of
Hanover,succeeded as king.There seems to be no truth in the legent that
Handel,having exceeded hisleave from Hanover,provided the 'Water Music'
to make his peace with him.In fact George doubled his pension,and a
further amount was added later when Handel became music master to the
royal children.Handel may have visited Germany briefly in 1716,but at
any rate was presumably back in London in January 1717 for revivals of
'Rinaldo' and'Amadigi.There followed a gap in Handel's operatic
career..He composed nothing fresh in the genre until 1720,and during
this time stayed at Cannons,near Edgware.There he composed the Chandos
anthems,revealing a flair for creating splendid sonorities with small
resources,and two English masques,'Acis and Galatea'(1718) and the first
version of 'Esther'(1718).
OPERA and ORATORIO
In 1718 Handel was appointed musical director of the Royal Academy of
Music His first work and later works such as 'Giulio
Cesare,was,'Radamisto'(1720)and later works such as Giulio
Cesare','Tamerlano' and'Rodelinda were written for a stanning
cast.Handel set up a new company at the King's Theatre in 1729 with
JohannHeidegger,the erstwhile manager of the Royal Academy.His first
operas for the new venture,'Lotario' and 'Partenope',were not
successful.Handel moved to the theatre at Covent Garden and produced
several operas,including two masterpieces,'Ariodante'and 'Alcina'(both
1735) In April1737 Handel suffered a stroke and he retired to take the
waters at Aix-la-Chapellein September.After his return to London in
October,apparently recovered,he was employed at the King's Theatre,and
prodused the operas'Faramondo,Alessandro Severo'and'Serse'.Although he
persisted with opera,the public reception in opera he found further
outlet in oratorio,a genre new to England that was created almost by
accident.Handel's masque'Esther'had been given private performancesin
London in 1732 and it was such a success that it was presented in public
at the King's Theatre in May that year.In 1738 Handel wrote'Saul',a
dramatically piece with a massive opera. and this was followed by'Israel
in Egypt'.He composed 'Messiah' before leaving London ,and in Dublin he
gave a successful series of concerts,including the premiere of
'Messiah' which made large sums of money for local charities.I 1749
Handel composed the 'Music for the Royal Fireworks'for the celebrations
of the Peace of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.In 1751 he embarked on
'Jephtha,his final masterpiece with suberb dranatic arias and
recitatives.But in the middle of its composition he began to suffer from
eye trouble and,although he evidently still managed to play his organ
concertos,he was totally blind by January 1753.'Jephtha'effectively
marks the end of his creative career.Handel died a national figure and
was buried at Westminster Abbey in the presence of about 3000 people.http://youtu.be/1vNaZ4HccGUhttp://youtu.be/tAW7kcEb6LEhttp://youtu.be/kI-xk8eD2hE

* FEBRUARY 24

Death of MARC-ANTOINE CHARPENTIER 1704 in Paris
French composer.Following a Jesuit education in Paris,he ventured to
Rome at some time in 1666 to study at the Collegio
Germanico,mastering counterpoint.Returning to Paris in 1670,he entered
the service of Mademoiselle de Guise,the cousin of Louis XIV and an
ardent admirer of Italian sacred music.He composed his cantata 'Orfee
and the sonata for eight instruments as well as sacred
music.Charpentier's''Medea'' was staged by the Academie Royale de
Musique in 1693,but in common with other new operas of the
post-Lully era,it was not well received by Parisian audiences owing to
the 'cabals of the envious and ignorant'In 1698,with the intercession
of the powerful Duce of Orleans,he was made maitre de musique of the
Sainte Chapelle on the Il de la Cite,where he remained until his
death.Charpentier Te deum (1)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQQzihD-7cQ&feature=share

Death of MATTHIAS WECKMANN 1619 German composer.He was a choirboy at the Dresden
chapel under Schutz,then a pupil of Pretorius at Hamburg.About 1642 he
went to Denmark to join Schutz,remaining an organist until 1647.Eight
years later he became organist at St Jacobi in Hamburg,where he
founded a 'collegium musicum'.About 13 sacred works have survived.His
instrumental works include eight sets of chorale variations for
organ,keyboard pieces,and some four-or five-part ensemble sonatas for
cornetts,violin,trombone,and bassoon,which bear a strong resemblance
to Giovanni Gabrieli's instrumental canzonas.Matthias Weckmannhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVMtTy-BpHM&feature=share

Birth of ARRIGO BOITO 1842 in Padua Italian composer.He was granted a government subsidy for having written a patriotic cantata 'Le sorelle d'Italia'(1861)
and went to Paris for a time,travelling also in Poland,Germany,and
England.He returned to Milan(1862)and earned a living by journalism and
achieved a reputation as a leading figure in Italy's nascent bohemian
movement,the 'scapigliatura':he offended Verdi by a particularly
nasty remark concerning the current state of Italian opera.It was this
reputation,rathyer than the music,which caused an uproar at the
premiere of his opera''Mefistofele''(1668).tha
t failure depressed Boito to the extent of deflecting him from composition.But the
publisher Ricordi had noted his gifts and encouraged him to
translate opera librettos,including that of Ponchielli's'La
Gioconda'.The successful revival of ''Mefistofele''in a revised
version at Bologna in 1875 finally established his reputation as a
composer and assured his prosperity.He became a senator in the Italian
parliament in 1912 and was highly honoured and liked.He died after
suffering from heart disease for some years.Son lo spirito (Mefistofele - Arrigo Boito) Samuel Rameyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PZS_L6mH1M&feature=share

* FEBRUARY 25

Death of ALESSANDRO STRADELLA 1682 in Genoa
Italian composer.He spent some time in Bologna in his youth,but no evidence associates him with the city's musicians.
He had moved to Rome with his mother by 1653,establishing himself as a
leading composer after 1667 and attracting the attention of such
wealthy patrons as ex-Queen Christina of Sweden.Stradella was a prolific
composer of operas,church music,oratorios,madrigals,and instrumental
music,but by far his largest contribution was in the realm of the
chamber cantata,of which he wrote no fewer than 125 for solo voice and
continuo.He was assasinated by a powerful Genoese family,the
Lomellini,over the honour of a woman.Alessandro Stradella (1644-1682) Sonata di viole (Mvts. 1 - 4)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jvq6a1pBj88&feature=share

Death of MARCO da GAGLIANO 1642 in Florence
Italian composer.A pupil of Luca Bati,the maestro di cappella of Florence Cathedral and S.Lorenzo,he succeeded his
master in 1608,and spenthis life in church service.His real
achievements,however,lay in his secular music.He was a fine composer of
madrigals in a modern style.One of the first Italian opera composers,he
is remembered today mainly for his opera ''La Dafne'',which was a
great success at its first performance in Mantua in 1608.Marco Da Gagliano - "La Dafne" (Estratti) "Ballo" e "Prologo"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IheYMO0hp0&feature=share

Birth of ALONSO LOBO 1555 in OsunaSpanish composer.Having been a canon of the collegiate church at
Osuna,in 1591 he became master of the choirboys and assistant to
Francisco Guerrero at Seville Cathedral. He was elected maestro de
capilla at Toledo Cathedral in 1593
and in 1604 returned as maestro to Seville,where his music continued
to be sung long after his death.He is best known for the motet'Versa
est in luctum,written on the death of Philip II,and published-with six
other motets and six masses-in his only printed collection,the=Liber
primus missarum'(Madrid,1602)Versa est in luctum (Alonso Lobo)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkQS6fmHaRo&feature=share

Birth of ENRICO CARUSO 1873 in Naples
Italian tenor.He was one of the most celebrated dramatic singers in history.In 1897 he made his debut at Palermo
in Ponchielli's''La Gioconda''.The following year he was acclaimed
for his performance as Loris in the premiere of Giordano's''Fedora''in
Milan.This marked the start of Caruso's international career,which took
him to Buenos Aires,
Rome, Monte Carlo,London,and New York.He achieved his greatest fame
at the Metropolitan Opera,New York,where he appeared every season from
1902 to 1920.It was the combination of extremely forceful projection
and gentle lyricism that made him famous,as did his mastery of bel
canto style and the imaginative detail he brought to nuances of music
and word.Enrico Caruso - Pagliacci No! Pagliaccio non sonhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozan4D5FyEU&feature=share

* FEBRUARY 26

Death of WILLIAM BRADE 1630 in Hamburg

Violinist and composer.He was probably born and trained in
England,but was later based in Germany and Denmark.Nothing certain is
known about his early career.By 1594 he had left England,and over the
course of the next 30 years he held various court and civic
appointments in Copenhagen,Berlin,Hamburg,and Halle.At the outbreak of
the Thirty Years War he settled in Hamburg,where he died.Brade's
compositions,written for instrumental consort in which he worked.Dances
predominate,in a variety of styles,English,French,German,and Italian.William Brade- Hamburger Ratsmusik (1)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5ZNvnTJa5U&feature=share

Death of GIUSEPPE TARTINI 1770 in PaduaItalian violinist,composer,teacher,and
theorist.Originally intended for the priesthood,he defied his parents
to follow a musical career.After incurring the wrath of the
ecclesiastical authorities there by a secret marriage in 1710,he was
obliged to retire to the Minorite monastery at Assisi,where he studied
music,probably with Cernohorsky.By 1714 he had joined the opera
orchestra in Ancona;the following year he was pardoned,bur left his
wife again soon
afterwards in order to spend four years in seclusion while perfecting
his violin playing.In 1721 he was appointed first violinist at
S.Antonio in Padua.After sustaining an arm injury in 1740 his concert
activity declined,but he remained at S.Antonio,until 1765 and continued
his teaching activities even longer.
His concertos are among the first to adopt the Vivaldian
three-movement pattern.His most famous work is the 'Devil's Trill'
Sonata ,supposedly written as the resuld of a dream in which the devil
seized Tartini's violin and played a piece that included a particularly
difficult trill.Giuseppe Tartini - "Devil`s Trill Sonata" - Adam Kosteckihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBDcVskPmXY&feature=share

Birth of ANTOINE REICHA 1770 in PragueCzech composer,teacher,and theorist.His earlier instructions came
from his uncle,a cellist and composer.In 1785 he played the flute in
the court orchestra in Bonn,meeting Beethoven and later Haydn. After a
brief sojourn in Paris he moved to Vienna,where he renewed
hisfriendships with both men.In 1808 he settled in Paris.While
continuing to compose he produced several treatises.He was appointed
professor of counterpoint and fugue at the Paris Conservatoire in
1818,and though his teaching was valued for precision and
broadmindedness by his pupils he was often at longerheads with his
colleagues Cherubini and Fetis.His pupils included
Liszt,Berlioz,Gounod,and briefly,but significantly,Franck.In 1829 he
became a French citizen and in 1831 was awarded the Legion d'Honneur.Antoine Reicha (1770-1836): Flute Quartet in A Major, Part 1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeUFo6G4A54&feature=share

* FEBRUARY 27

Birth of LOTTE LEHMANN 1888 in Perleberg
German-born American soprano.She studied in Berlin and in 1914 joined
the Vienna State Opera,where she was discovered by Richard Strauss,who
insisted she replace the soprano initially scheduled to create the
role of the
Composer in the revised version of ''Ariadne auf Naxos''(1916).Strauss regarded her as'the ideal interprete
his operas.She was also an outstanding Wagner singer,remaining unsurpassed as Sieglinde(in Die Walkure) andElsa(in
Lohengrin).She refused to perform in Germany after the Nazis came to
power in 1933,though she remained in Vienna until the 'Anschluss',after
which she left Europe for the USA,settling in California in 1939 and
not retiring until 1951.She was one of the greatest artists of the 20th
century,equally at ease in lieder and on the operatic stage.Lotte Lehmann: "Morgen!" (R. Strauss)http://youtu.be/i32Yxj1EOVg

Birth of GERALDINE FARRAR 1882 in Melrose,MA
American soprano.She studied in London and Berlin,where she made her
debut as Marguerite in Gounod's Faust in 1901.She then took lessons with
Lilli Lehmann,while continuing to perform in Berlin.In 1906 she was
engaged as a member of the Metropolitan Opera,New York.She was
considered an outstanding interpreter of Madama Butterfly and Carmen.
Her artistic imagination and supple voice can be heard on her many
recordings. She also appeared in films.Geraldine Farrar sings the Jewel Song from Fausthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V2AqPNdTQs&feature=share

Death of FRIEDRICH WILHELM RUST 1796 in DessauGerman composer and violinist.After studyng in Germany and Italy he
settled in Dessau,where in 1775 he was appointed court music director in
recognition of his contribution to the musical life of the city. His
large output,representative of the transition to Classicism,includes
stage works,many substantial vocal works, about a hundred lieder,and
keyboard music;he was also active as a teacher.Friedrich Rust: Sonata for viola d'amore & fortepiano in D major / In Mancherley Stimmunghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvnz09jij5M&feature=share

Birth of JOHN ALDEN CARPENTER 1876 in Park Ridge,ILAmerican composer.After studying with John Knowles
Paine at Harvard he joined the family firm.His works include a charming
Ravelian orchestral suite,'Adventures in a Perambulator(1914),two
ballets,two symphonies,and the tone-poem 'Sea Drift(1933)JOHN ALDEN CARPENTER_Symphony No 2_movement 1.wmvhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzs6oP-x69g&feature=share

Death of ALESSANDRO STRIGGIO 1592 in MantuaItalian composer and instrumentalist.He was the principal
composer to the Medici in Florence,and also a virtuoso viol player.Duke
Cosimo I used him as an emissary(and possibly a spy) to other
courts,including Munich(where he met lassus) and London in 1567.He
composed stage music and several volumes of madrigals,including a
prototype madrigal comedy depicting chattering
washerwomen,'Ilcicalamento delle donne al bucato'.His 40-part
motet'Ecce beatam lucem'may be connected with Tallis's'Spem in
alium'.He married the Sienese singer Virginia Vagnoli about 1570,moving
back to Mantua in 1587.Alessandro Striggio, Fuggi speme mia, fuggi (Giulia Peri, soprano).wmvhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNezhb7rPik&feature=share

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